Minoltaflex Automat
}} See also the 1937 Minoltaflex (I), the later Minoltaflex Automat prototypes and the postwar Minoltaflex II and III. The Minoltaflex Automat (ミノルタフレックスオートマット) is a 6×6cm TLR (twin lens reflex) camera for 120 film made from 1941 by Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō (predecessor of Minolta). Description The Minoltaflex Automat is an evolution of the earlier Minoltaflex, from which it retains the same body casting, viewfinder and front standard. Unlike the previous model, the camera has an advance crank on the photographer's right, winding the film and cocking the shutter in the same movement. It automatically stops for each exposure, and it is unlocked by tripping the release button. The frame number is displayed in a small round window on the same side. The L-shaped back is identical to that of the Minoltaflex. It is hinged at the top and retained by a latch at the bottom; the serial number is inscribed inside and there is an exposure table attached behind — the latter is written in English, something rather surprising for a Japanese camera of the era. The two film flanges placed on the photographer's left are pulled out for film loading, and the position of the first exposure is set via a red window, placed under the camera and protected by a sliding cover. After that, the exposure counter mechanism is engaged by a small button at the top of the right-hand side plate. The front plate is moved back and forth for focusing, and has a silver finish on all sides, replacing the black finish of the original Minoltaflex. Compared with the previous model, the camera also has newer strap attachments on both sides, and the focus knob has been moved to the photographer's left to leave space for the advance crank. The knob itself has an unchanged chrome finish with a black top, and runs along a black depth-of-field scale showing indications for 3.5, 8 and 16 apertures. The viewfinder provides automatic parallax correction via a mask on the ground glass screen, which moves back and forth when the focus knob is turned, the same as on the previous Minoltaflex. Device described in Hayashi, p.133 of no.4. The four-fold viewing hood, inspired by that of the Ikoflex II, is the same too. Its middle part has the shape of a truncated pyramid and a TIYOKO logo in the middle; it can be pushed back, releasing a built-in magnifying lens then revealing a sports finder. The words MINOLTA and AUTOMAT appear on the nameplate, placed in front of the viewfinder. The Minoltaflex Automat has the same lenses as the regular Minoltaflex. The taking lens is a four-element Promar 75mm f/3.5, made by Asahi Kōgaku (predecessor of Pentax); Made by Asahi: , lens item Lb39; Lewis, p.182. the marking on the rim is Promar Anastigmat Nippon or Promar Nippon. The viewing lens is a 75mm f/3.2, marked Minolta Anastigmat Nippon or Minolta Nippon, reportedly made by the Chiyoda company itself, perhaps in the Sakai plant. Made by Chiyoda: Kikan Classic Camera 14, p.38. The same source says on p.15 that the Sakai plant produced lenses from 1937, and this is also found in Francesch, p.25. Both lenses have a silver rim, thicker than on the Minoltaflex, and take 31.5mm diameter push-on accessories. The close-up lens set sold for the Minoltaflex Automat is marked 31.5 (see the picture below). The diameter is quoted as 32mm instead in most modern sources, such as Tanaka, p.25 of no.12, or Kikan Classic Camera 14, p.38. The shutter is a Crown II (B, 1–300) made by Chiyoda itself. The name CROWNⅡ–TIYOKO is inscribed on a small crescent-shaped nameplate screwed to the shutter plate, on the left of the lens (as seen from the front); the aperture scale is on the other side. The release lever mounted on the first examples was soon subsituted by a button is placed on the front plate, under the shutter unit (see the variations below). It is interlocked with the advance mechanism to provide double exposure prevention. The dimensions are 98×100×138mm, and the weight is 1,000g. Scheibel, p.27, and Kikan Classic Camera 14, p.38. Commercial life Many sources say that the Minoltaflex Automat was released in 1939; this date appears in the chronology published by the company in September 1958 in , in Minolta's fifty-year chronicle and is repeated elsewhere. Chronology "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō", p.295 of September 1958 (document reproduced in this Flickr page by Rebollo_fr), fifty-year history Minolta 50-nen no ayumi, pp.6 and 65, Francesch, pp.26 and 87, Tanaka, p.25 of no.12, , p.681, Lewis, p.56, Scheibel, p.27, Kikan Classic Camera 14, p.38. However the camera does not appear in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, which gives a supposedly exhaustive list of all the Japanese camera production. . The earliest appearance of the camera known so far is in the October 1941 catalogue by Asanuma Shōkai, where the camera is listed for — this price includes the lens cap but not the ever-ready case, sold separately for ¥14.16. The camera was advertised in Japanese photographic magazines from January 1942. , p.342. It seems that the price remained unchanged at least until January 1943. The price appears as ¥493 again in advertisements in October 1942 and January 1943, reproduced in , p.99, and in Hagiya, p.10 of no.12. See also the advertisement dated 1942 reproduced in Nostalgic Cameras. At the time, the Minoltaflex Automat was the most expensive of all Japanese cameras, except the Canon. See Japanese prices. The Minoltaflex Automat is mentioned in the April 1943 government inquiry on Japanese camera production, , item 119. In this document, the camera is simply called "Minolta Automat". and the last reported advertisement is dated August 1943; The advertisement in August 1943 is the last one listed in , p.342. the production was probably stopped around that time. It seems that one of the TLR models made by the Chiyoda company was supplied to the military and received an official inventory name. Awano suggests that this was the Minoltaflex Automat, Awano, p.17 of no.12. but an interview of Tashima Gizō mentions the "Flex", probably meaning the original Minoltaflex. Tashima Gizō, interviewed by Saeki Kakugorō on p.78 of no.12. Variations The early examples have the release lever on the side of the front plate, as on the original Minoltaflex, and have thick lens rims. Examples pictured in this page, in , p.681, in this page at Infocam, and examples observed in online auctions. Another such camera, observed in a Chinese website, has the same nameplate as on the original Minoltaflex (with slanted typeface), but this is perhaps not original. Examples are known with body number in the 11xxx range and taking lens number in the 96xxx and 97xxx range. (The lowest body number observed so far on a Minoltaflex Automat is no.11406.) The regular examples have a release button on the front plate, below the shutter housing, and have thinner lens rims. Surviving examples are known with body numbers from 14587 to 23846, taking lens numbers from 100151 to 112188 and viewing lens numbers from 17334 to 29465. The engraving on the lens rims lost the word Anastigmat around taking lens no.106000 and viewing lens no.23000. The late examples with body number above c.20000 have no exposure table on the back (as for the original Minoltaflex). One camera with interesting features was shown by Mieno Tsuguharu in a letter to . Mieno and Awano, pp.5–9 of no.26. It has taking lens no.112188 and viewing lens no.29465, the last observed on an Automat. These were mounted on a slightly earlier body, with serial no.18828 and an exposure table on the back. Removal of the MINOLTA AUTOMAT nameplate reveals the abbreviated company name Chiyokō in kanji characters 千代光, and No26199. Similar engravings (with No2602) are found on the "type A" interchangeable-lens prototype, which was probably made c.1943 for the military. Awano Mikio, editor of the magazine, said that he asked older members of the Minolta company and they dismissed the hidden inscription as a personal number inscribed by a worker, but this explanation does not seem satisfactory and Awano was not convinced. (See Awano, pp.8–9 of no.26.) Furthermore, this discussion occurred years before the "type A" prototype was rediscovered in a 1998 article of the same magazine; otherwise, Awano would surely have seen the connection. The Automat pictured in the letter also has a PC synch socket at the front, at the exact same place as the synch connector of the "type A" camera. Though no textual evidence has remained of this, it looks like this particular Automat was part of a very late batch with added flash synchronization, perhaps made on behalf of the military. The extra serial number 26199 might be a military number in a sequence starting at 2600 or 2601, perhaps an allusion to year 2600 in the old Japanese calendar used during the military period, corresponding to 1940 CE. Total production and current condition The Minoltaflex Automat was made in the same Amagasaki (尼崎) plant which produced the Minoltaflex and the Minolta bakelite models. Awano, p.7 of no.12 and p.8 of no.26. It is difficult to give a precise estimate of the total production, because the numbering sequence was common to the Minoltaflex. From the known serial numbers, it seems certain that less than 25,000 were made of the two models; for the Minoltaflex Automat alone, we can attempt a rough estimate of 5,000 to 10,000 units. It is said that the film advance mechanism of the Minoltaflex Automat was not very reliable, because the materials used during the troubled production period were inadequate. Tanaka, p.131 of Nigan-refu no hanashi (zenpen). Various surviving cameras indeed show traces of repair and tinkering with the advance mechanism. For example, at least one very late camera was modified by removing the auto-stop mechanism and exposure counter, and moving the red window to the middle of the back, for manual control of the film advance. Example observed in an online auction. Accessories The original ever-ready case is made of brown leather, and has the name MINOLTA AUTOMAT embossed at the front, above the latch. The double lens cap is black with the TIYOKO logo at the top and the name Minolta Flex at the bottom. The filter pictured above was certainly offered by Asanuma Shōkai as a dedicated accessory; it has a silver rim, engraved Minolta–automat Filter, and comes in a small case embossed Minoltaflex. The close-up lens set is exactly similar to the set sold for the original Minoltaflex, but for the larger 31.5mm diameter. It was copied on the Proxar and Rolleipar set of the Rolleiflex, and consists of two identical lenses, inscribed 31.5 and P.X–No.1 or P.X–No.2, and one parallax correction device for the viewing lens, inscribed Minolta Flex Auto Mat and Ro–P.X–No.1 or Ro–P.X–No.2. The three elements are contained in a small case with a Minoltaflex embossing. At least two types of hoods are known. The metal square hood has a lever on the side, certainly to release the springs holding it firmly to the camera; it is engraved Minolta–automat at the top and comes in a small brown case. The round hood has a built-in filter holder and spring-loaded clips to fit on the camera's taking lens. It comes in a small cardboard box which has the Minolta logo, markings identifying it as a "lens hood for the Minolta Automat" (ミノルタオートマット専用レンズフード), and the name of Asanuma Shōkai. Notes Bibliography Original documents * Asanuma Shōkai. Shashinki to zairyō (写真機と材料, Cameras and supplies). Catalogue dated October 1941, p.11. Document partly reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr. * Item 119. * The Minoltaflex Automat does not appear in this document. Official historical accounts * Minolta Camera. Minolta 50-nen no ayumi (Minolta・50年のあゆみ, Minolta 50-year history). November 1978. Pp.6–7 and 65. * no.77 (September 1958). "Hensen kamera ichiran-pyō" (変遷カメラ一らん表, Table of camera evolution.) P.295. (This is a chronology of Minolta cameras from the Nifcarette onwards. This document is reproduced in this Flickr page by Rebollo_fr.) * Taniguchi Masao (谷口匡男), from the commercial department (営業部) of Chiyoda Kōgaku Seikō. "Minoruta kamera no sakujitsu, konnichi" (ミノルタ・カメラの昨日、今日, Minolta cameras, yesterday and today). In no.77 (September 1958). Pp.275–9. Recent sources * Item 280. (See also the picture on p.430.) * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Minoruta ryakushi" (ミノルタ略史, Minolta short history). Pp.6–8. * Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Senzen no Minoruta kamera" (戦前のミノルタカメラ, Prewar Minolta cameras). Pp.13–7. * "Minoruta nigan-refu no yūwaku" (ミノルタ二眼レフの誘惑", Seduction of Minolta TLR cameras). Pp.135 and 138. * Pp.26 and 87. * Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Kōkoku ni miru Minoruta kamera no rekishi" (広告に見るミノルタカメラの歴史, "Minolta camera history seen through the advertisements"). Pp.9–12. * Hayashi Teruaki (林輝昭). "Wagakuni ni-gan-refu no sutandādo Minorutafurekkusu" (わが国二眼レフのスタンダードミノルタフレックス, The Minoltaflex, our country's standard TLR). Pp.133–5. * * P.38. * P.56. * P.681. * Mieno Tsuguharu (三重野二治). "Watashi no Minorutafurekkusu ni tsuite" (私のミノルタフレックスについて, About my Minoltaflex) and answer by Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). In no.26 (August 1979). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.5–9. * Pp.26–7. * Item 2014. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Minolta Camera: nigan-refu kamera" (Minolta Camera: 二眼レフカメラ, Minolta TLR cameras). Pp.25–30. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). Nigan-refu no hanashi (zenpen) (二眼レフのはなし前編, TLR stories part). Gendai Kamera Shinsho (現代カメラ新書) no.68. Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1980. No ISBN number. Pp.129–31. * Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Semi Minoruta I-gata to II-gata." (セミミノルタⅠ型とⅡ型, "Semi Minolta I and II") In no.116 (February 1987). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. (Contains a reproduction of the chronology in no.77 and no other information on the Minoltaflex Automat.) Links In English: * Minoltaflex Automat in the 70th anniversary Minolta poster, reproduced at Photoclub Alpha * Minolta TLR cameras at TLR Cameras In Japanese: * Minoltaflex Automat in the Camera database of the Center of the History of Japanese Industrial Technology * Minoltaflex Automat and more pictures in Miyazawa Noriyuki's camera site * Minoltaflex Automat here and among Minolta TLR cameras at Asacame * Minoltaflex Automat posts at Saiensu na hanashi * Advertisement for the Minoltaflex Automat dated 1942, reproduced in Nostalgic Camera, a page of old Japanese advertisements by Toshio Inamura In Chinese: * Minoltaflex Automat at www.gold-camera.com In Korean: * Minoltaflex Automat in a page of TLRs at Infocam Category: Japanese 6x6 TLR Category: Minolta Category: M